I'm very new to the whole forum business but i am getting very desperate for help here and where else to come then to the Terry Pratchett enthusiasts themselves?

Now i've heard about Mr. Pratchett since i was going on 10 years old (now 20) and over my years online have encountered many a friend that is a fan of the disc world series but no-one would explain to me what they are!

And now i reach the purpose of my topic. My partner is VERY enthusiastic about the television adaptations of his work, and she made me watch Going Postal and i was absolutly amazed by it!

So question: what is the disc world series in lamen terms? And where do i start in the discworld series?

I'd appreciate any advice or information given as i want to start reading them as soon as possible.

If you've seen Going Postal, I'd advise reading Going Postal. You'll get a lot more from the book than from the Sky production. If you enjoy that, give Guards Guards a shot, then Witches Abroad. That'll give you a basic grounding for all the Watch and Witches books.

Or, my fave is Pyramids - a stand alone one-off.

(Though everybody will probably argue with me coz these Pratchett fans are a right stroppy lot. )

"Disliking Carrot would be like kicking a puppy.""You kicked a puppy," Lobsang said accusingly.

I agree with Pooh - read the book of Going Postal and then start with Guards! Guards! as it's a great book to be introduced to Ankh-Morpork (largest city on the Discworld). That's the first of the City Watch books, so if you enjoy that, try Men At Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo etc. afterwards.

You've got a real treat ahead of you.

“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.” – Blaise Pascal

Is a good list but the indirect link from Small Gods to the Witch Novels should by rights go to Carpe Jugulum and not Wee Free Men as Mightily Oats is the connection and he's not in the Tiffany Witch novels unless it's by mention only

For the record I'm not agreeing with Pooh as there's not really a reading order as such, but the suggestions for the themed novels as per the graphic Sjoerd's given you does help you make better sense of the later books in the series, particularly for the Watch as their numbers and influence grow as you get into the series.

All of the Discworld books can be read out of sequence as they are self-contained stories, but the 1st 2 or 3 books are not as well written as the rest (Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic), but are interesting from a conceptual perspective as you then get to see how the Discworld begins to grow.

Discworld in a nutshell? It's an impossible 'flat' disc (with bumpy bits for mountains etc) carried on the backs of 4 elephants standing on top of a giant space turtle, swimming through a galaxy that can only exist because everything has to happen somewhere. This is helped along by a powerful magical field surrounding Discworld and by it being in an alternative reality area of the multiverse that's been made by a Creator with a warped sense of humour...

"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” George Bernard Shaw

I'd definitely recommend you start with Going Postal and then whatever takes your fancy. The joy of Discworld books is that you'll instantly pick up on the spirit of the series, no matter which book you go for

I, on the other hand, am enjoying reading Discworld for the first time, starting with The Colour of Magic in the order they were written. I like the sense of seeing the world aand Terry's writing evolve as well. I also like having a break from some characters and cheering when they come back, unlike reading their books all in one go.

Here is a list in the order that i am reading, in which they were written - also shows year of release in characters involved. Hope this helps.

1 The Colour of Magic 1983 Rincewind

2 The Light Fantastic 1986 Rincewind

3 Equal Rites 1987 The Witches, The Wizards

4 Mort 1987 Death

5 Sourcery 1988 Rincewind, The Wizards

6 Wyrd Sisters 1988 The Witches

7 Pyramids 1989 Miscellaneous (Djelibeybi)

8 Guards! Guards! 1989 The City Watch

9 Faust Eric 1990 Rincewind

10 Moving Pictures 1990 Miscellaneous (Holy Wood), The Wizards

11 Reaper Man 1991 Death, The Wizards

12 Witches Abroad 1991 The Witches

13 Small Gods 1992 Miscellaneous (Omnia), The History Monks

14 Lords and Ladies 1992 The Witches, The Wizards

15 Men at Arms 1993 The City Watch

16 Soul Music 1994 Death, Susan Sto Helit, The Wizards

17 Interesting Times 1994 Rincewind, The Wizards

18 Maskerade 1995 The Witches

19 Feet of Clay 1996 The City Watch

20 Hogfather 1996 Death, Susan Sto Helit, The Wizards

21 Jingo 1997 The City Watch

22 The Last Continent 1998 Rincewind, The Wizards

23 Carpe Jugulum 1998 The Witches

24 The Fifth Elephant 1999 The City Watch

25 The Truth 2000 The Ankh-Morpork Times, The City Watch

26 Thief of Time 2001 Death, Susan Sto Helit, The History Monks

27 The Last Hero 2001 Rincewind, The Wizards, The City Watch Published in a larger format and fully illustrated by Paul Kidby

28 The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents 2001 Miscellaneous (Überwald) A YA (young adult or children's) Discworld book

29 Night Watch 2002 The City Watch, The History Monks

30 The Wee Free Men 2003 Tiffany Aching The second YA Discworld book

31 Monstrous Regiment 2003 Miscellaneous (Borogravia), The City Watch, The Ankh-Morpork Times

32 A Hat Full of Sky 2004 Tiffany Aching, The Witches The third YA Discworld book

I'm also just reading the discworld novels and really enjoying them. I have also started reading them in chronological order. I'm not sure if this is the best way or not however I will no doubt re-read the one's I enjoy the most after I have read them all. I am on Mort at the moment. Very much enjoyed Equal rites as well.

Hellooo and welcome jo82. I started reading the Discworld series way back since Equal Rites and have been hooked ever since. As a result, I read most of the books in chronological order and found it very interesting to see Sir Terry's style change as his characters and locations evolved over the years.

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.